NW Europe potato planting area grows to 10 year high
Excluding plantings of potatoes for starch or seed, the total planned area is about 1.41million acres. The season estimates revealed that all five countries in the group (Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France and the UK) will plant more potatoes in the upcoming season than they did last year, with the biggest increase expected in Belgium.
“Although these estimates suggest a substantial increase in planted area this does not guarantee 10-year high output,” said AHDB analyst Amber Cottingham.
“There is still much of the season to come and yields vary, driven mainly by weather, a factor that is difficult to predict.”
However, she said AHDB Potatoes’ production modelling, based on planted area and various yield scenarios, forecast a year-on-year production increase of between 3% and 21%.
Most NEPG countries, she added, have indicated that stocks are low, especially for free-buy potatoes.
source: pressandjournal.co.uk
